Potato Gratin,Glazed Carrots,Citrus salad & Pork Loin

I hope that each of you begin this year with a new and exciting outlook about cooking! For me, cooking is fun and challenging. So for my holiday dinner, I Prepared a Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples. I have stuffed pork chops and stuffed a chicken or two, but never a pork roast.

It was indeed a challenge to roll that 3 pound roast but I won! Along with the pork roast I served a Potato & Celery Root Gratin with Leeks, Spiced Glazed Carrots with Sherry and a Citrus With Red Onion and Escarole Salad.

The roast recipe is the last entry on this post because it is the most time consuming portion of the meal. But I hope you try it for your next special occasion.

I like to prep the day before and I was able to do this with all these recipes.

Thanks to Bon Appetit's October and November issues and The Williams-Sonoma Salad book for this delicious meal! Bon Appetit, Food and Wine and Gourmet magazines are my favorites. I would encourage you to get these for your cookbook collection.

Let me start with the Carrots. Easy to make and they were a big hit and even the 4 year old loved them!

SPICED GLAZED CARROTS WITH SHERRY & CITRUS

Ingredients:

2 bunches of thin carrots about 2 lb, cut into 1" pieces (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning

12 whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh clementine juice or orange juice (I used Clementines)

2 tablespoons Sherry or sweet vermouth, divided ( I used Sherry)

2 pinches ground cloves

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated clementine zest or orange zest

Preparation

Bring carrots, butter, 1/2 tsp. salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 7–8 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to a medium bowl.

Add clementine juice, 1 Tbsp. Sherry, and ground cloves to skillet and cook until glaze forms,

7–8 minutes. Stir in carrots and remaining 1 Tbsp. Sherry.

Season carrots to taste with salt.

DO AHEAD - Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing, adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry.Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with tarragon and Clementine zest.

POTATO & CELERY ROOT GRATIN WITH LEEKS

If you are watching your weight, this is not for you! It has heavy cream and Gruyere cheese. However, if you are wanting to throw caution to the wind, go ahead and make this. You will be glad you did!

Ingredients:

3 cups heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 sprig thyme plus 3 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, divided

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher Salt

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise about 1/8" thick

1 pound celery root, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise about 1/8" thick

2 cups grated Gruyère

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat to 350°. Heat cream, garlic, and thyme sprig in a medium saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around edge of pan. Remove from heat; set aside to steep.

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add leeks; season with salt and cook, stirring often, until tender (do not brown), 10–12 minutes.

Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Butter a 3-qt. gratin dish with remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Layer 1/3 of potato slices and 1/3 of celery root slices evenly over bottom of baking dish.

Cover with 1/3 of leeks, then 1/3 of Gruyère. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. thyme leaves.

Repeat layers twice more.

Strain cream mixture into a medium pitcher and pour over vegetables.

Set gratin dish on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes.

DO AHEAD:Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Tent with foil and rewarm in a 300° oven until hot, about 20 minutes

MIXED CITRUS WITH RED ONIONS AND MIXED GREENS SALAD

The original recipe calls for Escarole, which is a slightly bitter green. I prefer other greens so I went to my local Central Market and got a mixture of various greens. It worked well.

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion

1 grapefruit

1 orange

2 mandarin oranges

1 oz Maytag or other blue cheese

1/4 extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups torn escarole or other greens. Again I used mixed greens

1/4 cup minced fresh chervil. If you are unable to find chervil, use parsley.

Preparation:

Cut the onion half into paper-thin slices, then cut each slice in half. Set aside.

Cut the grapefruit sections into a bowl letting the juices drop into the bowl. Cut each section in half crosswise. Repeat with the orange and mandarins placing them in the same bowl as with the grapefruit and set aside.

Put the cheese in the bottom of a large bowl and add the olive oil. Using a fork, mash the cheese into the oil until well blended. Stir in the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the greens and gently mix to coat evenly. Add all the citrus and their juices, the red onion and the minced chervil and gently mix to coat evenly.

Sprinkle with the chervil sprigs and serve at once.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED PORK LOIN WITH ROASTED APPLES

This dish is not only delicious, but what a presentation it makes! This recipe will have you stepping outside the box and perhaps your comfort zone. But well worth the time. The recipe will serve eight.

Have the butcher butterfly the roast for you.

Ingredients

Filling

1 ounce, about a cup, dried whole porcini mushrooms

2 ounces or about 3/4 cup dried apples

1 pound kale, bottom stems trimmed. If you don't like or haven't eaten Kale, you will really like this. So step outside that box.

2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons brandy or Calvados. I used brandy.

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground pork

Pork:

1 nicely trimmed 2 1/2 to 3lb. pork loin

1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto. I purchased 6 ounces because prosciutto is so thin and tears so easily, that I wanted to be sure I had enough to wrap the roast.

5 sprigs rosemary

4 medium apples, such as Granny Smith or Fuji, quartered, or 8 small apples, halved. I used Fuji

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup dry hard cider. I found this at my local Whole Foods store

1/2 cup low-salt chicken stock

FILLING

Place dried mushrooms and dried apples in separate small bowls. Add 1 cup boiling water to each bowl. Let mushrooms and apples soak until very soft, about 30 minutes.

Strain mushrooms. Cover and chill soaking liquid (about 3/4 cup).

Drain apples, discarding soaking liquid.

Finely chop mushrooms and apples, combine in a small bowl, and set mushroom and apple mixture aside.

Meanwhile, blanch kale in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer kale to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until cool. Remove any large, tough ribs.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.

Add mushrooms and apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute.

Add brandy and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely. Add ground pork and stir to combine well.

PORK

Place pork roast on plastic wrap and lay flat. Place another piece of plastic on top and pound until roast has even thickness.

Remove plastic and season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Place kale leaves on top of loin in an even layer, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1" border.

Spread filling on top of kale. Roll pork into a tight cylinder.

Wrap one layer of prosciutto around roast. Tie roast securely with kitchen twine in 1" intervals.

Tuck rosemary sprigs under twine, spacing apart.

DO AHEAD: Pork roast can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 400°. Place apples in a roasting pan.

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a large skillet. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes total, then set on top of apples in pan.

Add cider and 1/2 cup water to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits.

Pour mixture into roasting pan. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loin registers 140° (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Let roast rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Put roast on a platter. Reserve apples from roasting pan; spoon off fat from juices in pan.

Place pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock. Pour in reserved mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind, and cook, scraping bottom of pan to release any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce; slice pork. Serve sauce and apples alongside sliced pork.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did. Again my thanks to Bon Appetit and Williams-Sonoma for making me look like a formally trained Chef!

So until next time remember:

Never eat more then you can lift - Miss Piggy

Egg-citing eggs! Stuffed, Poached or Fried- Yum!

So what came first the chicken or the egg? Well it sure doesn't matter to me as I love them both! You can do so much with eggs. Not only for breakfast but cakes, custards and my fav the deviled egg!

You may call them stuffed or deviled eggs, but what ever you call them they seem to be very popular now, but stuffed eggs was one of the first things I made as a young girl. I had to make extra because I love warm hard boiled eggs! Mom had to get onto me as I would eat them before I deviled them. I still to this day prefer my hard boiled eggs warm with salt and pepper. Yum!

Now I just didn't make plain deviled eggs, I would let my young creative juices flow and add other ingredients like chopped up Spam.... Yes we had Spam in our family. I would add fried up small pieces of sausage and bacon. As you may of guessed, Spam deviled eggs was not a big hit.

Today I make Shrimp, Crab or Jalapeno deviled eggs. They are always a big hit where ever I take them.

The key to a great deviled eggs is to be sure you don't over cook the eggs. Ever notice when you peel an egg and cut it open you see a dark greenish edge around the yoke? Oophs, you cooked it to long. If I asked 10 cooks how to boil an egg I would get 10 different answers. In my many years of cooking here is what I do.

Place the eggs in a pan and cover eggs with cold salted water and cover. Bring to a boil and take of the burner. Let set for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the egg. To stop the cooking, place in cold water. There you have it! Perfect eggs!

Once the eggs are cool enough to handle I peel then cut them. Most the time you see stuffed eggs cut length wise, but try cutting a small amount of the top off the pointed end so it will have a flat surface. then cut the top off the fat end to expose the yolk. Take out the yolks and place them in a bowl. The whites you can place back in an egg carton or something similar. I like the way the eggs look when cut in this manner.

I mash up the yolks really fine. I then mince/finely chop my shrimp or crab or Jalapenos. To the yolks I add my mayo. I add just a little at a time to see how moist they are. You can also add sour cream or even Ranch dressing. Anything goes! Add salt and pepper. If I am making plain deviled eggs I would add some mustard and not just the plain yellow kind. Try the spicy types. You may even add a bit of thyme or rosemary to these. Mix some sour cream with mayo. Very tasty if I do say so.

For the shrimp eggs I add the shrimp and some minced dill. Crab I like to add some very finely minced shallots and a bit of ole bay type seasoning. Or seasoning similar to ole bay. I would place a small salad size shrimp on these and perhaps a bit of dill. Makes for a nice presentation.

The Jalapeno eggs are a real favorite in my house. I add the finely chopped pickled jalapenos to the yolks and even add a bit of the juice. I also may add a bit of cilantro. Soooo good. I decorate with a thinly sliced Jalapeno or some cilantro.

You can pipe the mixture into the eggs. I use a plastic zip bag. This way I can cut the corner just the right size to pipe the mixture. Easy clean up too!

So the next time you look at a dozen eggs, think about making stuffed eggs. Be creative! Cook like no one is watching. You will be amazed at what you can create.

Until next time, may your life be well seasoned and your pans well used.

Restaurant Reviews - Stuffed Avocado, Risotto Balls, Apas Asadas

Recently I took a trip to Austin, Texas and experienced some great food in a fun city!

Austin is the state capital of Texas and Austin prides its self on being far from ordinary. Austin celebrates being "Weird". It is a community of musicians, artists, and progressive thinkers.

But let me talk about the taste of Austin. You can find some of the county's best Tex-Mex, barbecure and a wide selection of local and organic restaurants are to be found here. And the food trucks.... so many to choose from and so little time.

First stop - Hula Hut (http://www.hulahut.com)
It is Tex-Mex with a twist..... a Polynesian twist this is. They call it Tiki-Mex. Hula Hut overlooks Lake Austin and the place is decked out with Tiki torches, hundreds of lights and a great bar that overlooks the the lake! You can enjoy the surf'n, light rock or Polynesian music while sipping on a Mango Margarita while overlooking the lake. Almost heaven.

Their menu has snacks, PuPu platters, salads, burgers, fajitas, enchiladas and Luau dinners. Each has a Polynesian twist. Prices are very resonable starting at $6.99 up to $26.99.

We started off with the Kawaikini Stuffed Avocado. This was amazing.... Let me say that again... this was AMAZING!! I am going to attempt to make this at home.

They take a Hass avocado fill it with roasted chicken, green onions, cilantro, monterey jack cheese and green chili's, rolled in panko and green chili spices then lightly fry it. It is served on a bed of hatch green Chili's and queso blanco sauces. I could have eaten three of these!

The smooth velvety texture of the avocado, the kick of the chili and spices and the crunch of the panko all work so well together. Next was the Polynesian Pescado platter. It was two coconut shrimp, two mexonesian shrimp flautas, two grilled fresh fish tacos, and grilled fresh salmon. Also on this platter was the Hula Hut chopped salad and apas asadas.

The best thing on this dish was the salmon and the papas asadas. The salmon was cooked to perfection and served with a spicy sweet salsa. The papas asadas, (potatoes) are made with several ingredients such as garlic, olive oil and parsley. But the other ingredients are in the chimichurri sauce - lime juice, vinegar and cilantro.

The sever was excellent! He knew each item on the menu and could tell us what was in each and described the flavors. When he wasn't working at the Hula Hut, he taught K-4th graders. Gotta love the teachers!

Next day was breakfast- Kerbey lane Cafe - (http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com)

They are a Austin favorite since 1980 and have five locations. Kerbey's menu is as diverse as Austin. You will not only find normal breakfast fare such as eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, but many vegan dishes along with their own creations such as eggs Francisco. This is an English muffin topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato and avocado then ladled with great amounts of queso. I must try that the next time I am in Austin.

This morning I decided to try their seasonal pancakes, Pumpkin! They are the bomb! They are so famous for these that they sell the pancak mix, but they were out of it! They also make their own sausage. So flavorful with just the right amount of seasonings. The patties were very generous in size as well. My egg was cooked perfectly and the gravy was pretty tasty as well. However, their gravy was not as good as mine. I am the gravy queen and will put my gravy in competition next to anyone!

The Kerbey is part of the Austin community and they take their citizenshp seriously. They buy from local vendors, and their walls are given over to local artist. They support several local charities each month and in October each year the sell their pink pancakes to support breast cancer.

The service was great! The young man who waited on us was wonderful. Since it was my first time there, he explained the philosphy of the restaurant and guided me through the menu. Prices are reasonable from $1.99 to $12.99.

Dinner!

Enoteca/Vespaio (http://www.austinvespaio.com/enoteca)

I am normally not a big fan of Italian food because I have yet to taste a nice red sauce that doesn't taste like it came from a tin can, but this place changed my mind.

First off was the Calamari Friti with a lemon aioli dipping sauce. Outside of San Francisco, this was the best calamari I've have had in a very long time. You could actually taste the sweet fresh calamari. The breading was light with a nice soft crunch, while the lemon aioli was fresh with just the right amount of lemon.

Next on the meu was Suppli, crispy risotto balls filled with fontina cheese. Wow! Warm, crunchy and cheesey. What more does a girl want. These were wonderful; however fontina cheese is really mild so I would have preferred a bit stronger cheese. Yes the risotto is mild but I feel a bit of Maytag blue would have added more flavor. It was served with a great Arrabbiata sauce! This sauce consisted of tomatoes, chili, garlic all cooked in olive oil. Best sauce I've had in years.

Next was the pizza - Pancetta Affumicata. Must have a pizza at an Italian resturant right? This pizza had smoked applewood bacon, caramelized onions, cambozola cheese and spinach. This was not the best pizza I have ever tasted. The edge of the crust was nice and brown and crunchy, however, the middle was soggy and had a lot of oil.. The bacon was not crisp at all and I had a lot of real fatty pieces that were not cooked well.

The server was OK, but when I asked him about the Arrabbiata sauce, he couldn't tell me anything about it. I will be back to try their Bistecca Con Patate Fritte; Hanger steak in Chianti Ridurre served with french fries. Prices range from $9.00 to $19.00

Austin is a great place to visit. Lots of great restaurants, food carts, LBJ library and a must see are the thousands of bats at dusk leaving from underneath the Congress street bridge. This is a sight to behold! Oh I almost forgot, 6th street! Shops, bars and fun and funky places to eat. Also be sure to catch the Esther's Follies. You will laugh until you cry!

So when you're in Texas be sure to visit Austin and sample all the good eats around town.

Until next time, try a new recipe a keep cooking.

1920's Waldorf-Astoria's Signature Red Velvet Cake

Let them eat cake! Ahhh cake. White, yellow, cream, chocolate, cheese. Everyone loves cake right? Well this one is delicious and it contains beets! Yes beets. Now don't think yuk beets! This is a moist beautiful cake that you will be proud to serve anytime or for that special occasion!

Many people think that Red Velvet Cake is a Southern invention and, although it has gained popularity there, it actually started out as a signature dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria in the 1920's.

I promise that if you will make this cake it will be a big hit with friends and family. The frosting is soooo good I could eat it all by itself!

For The Cake:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds of sliced or diced canned beets, drained and pureed
1 teaspoon red food coloring

For The Icing:

2 cups heavy cream
12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
12 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

To prepare the cake melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water or in the top of a double boiler. You may melt in the microwave for about 20 30 seconds.

Place the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix or low speed for 2 minute4s.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and continue to mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl so everything is well Incorporated.

Add the melted chocolate to this and continue to mix on low seed.

Add the pureed beets and food coloring.

Continue to mix on low seed until everything is thoroughly combined.

Evenly divide the batter between the 3 prepared pans bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when touched, or when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn the layers out onto your cooling rack.

To prepare the icing our the cream into a small bowl and whip to soft peaks and set aside in the refrigerator.

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until it is soft and smooth.

Add the mascarpone and continue to mix on low seed until the cheeses are well combined.

Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until everything is just combined.

Turn off the mixer and fold in the whipped cream by hand with a spatula.

Place the first layer on a cake plate and top with some of the icing. Repeat until all the layers are covered with icing, then ice the top and sides of the cake. I shaved some chocolate on top.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

This was a big hit and I will be making it again and again!

Until my next post, keep cooking with love!

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

Beets! Have you ever thought of roasting them? Have you ever had them with goat cheese or in a salad? Now add nice a nice crisp apple and you have a great salad!

As I was looking through my Waldorf-Astoria cookbook I found this roasted beet and goat cheese timbales with apples and walnut vinaigrette salad.

For the Walnut Dressing:

1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For The Salad:

3 large red beets, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into 3/8 inch dice
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon sliced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
4 ounces aged goat cheese, crumbled and divided into 8 portions
1 cup frisee
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

To prepare the dressing combine the vinegar and mustard in a nonreactive mixing bowl and while continuously whisking, slowly pour in the vegetable oil and walnut oil. Still whisking, add the sugar until it dissolves and is thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. NOTE: I put all in ingredients in a jar and shook.

To prepare the salad toss the beets in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the beets on a well oiled cookie sheet and transfer to the oven. Roast until the beets are soft but not mushy. About 12-15 minutes. When done, let them cool.

Cut one of the peeled apples into 3/8 inch cubes and plce in a nonreactive bowl. Add the beets, parsley, chives,tarragon, remaining olive oil and sherry vinegar. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Separate the beet salad into 8 equal portions. Create a timbale for each portion using a 3 1/2 inch diameter mold. Place the mold on a chilled serving plate and spoon a portion of the salad into the mold and press lightly to make even.

Sprinkle with a portion of the goat cheese.

Julienne the remaining apple into matchstick lengths and put in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add the frisee and 3 tablespoons of the walnut dressing. Season
with salad and pepper and toss.

Place some of the salad on top of the goat cheese in the mold. Sprinkle with the toasted walnuts and drizzle with additional walnut dressing to taste.

Reference: The Waldorf=Astoria Cookbook Page 138

This salad would be nice for a luncheon, or a first course. I served this with Blue corn crab cakes with a mango green onion relish.

I hope you find this salad as Delicious as I did.

Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good. -Alice May Brock

Summer Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is always a bit hit in the summer time. Pasta is so versatile and the best thing is you can prepare it the day before, which is best so all the flavors come together.

Growing up, Pasta salad was always a staple in my home. However, Mother was not very adventurous when making pasta salad. Her salad consisted of, Elbow macaroni, onions, and mayo. Not so flavorful and not very inspired. So as I begin to make pasta salad, I would throw in all kinds of stuff, and use various salad dressing we had on hand. Now I must say some of my creations were pretty darn good, others not so much. Now there was nothing really wrong with moms salad, but I wanted more.

When my June issue of the Food Network Magazine came, I was so so excited to see on the cover "Pasta Salad Create Your Own!"

On page 79 it had ideas for you to "Mix and Match". The proteins suggested were some I have always used, however Baked Totu is one that I am quite sure I will not use in my pasta salad.

One of the veggies they suggested was green beans and canned chickpeas. Interesting.....

After reading and deciding what salad I was going to prepare, off to the store I went to get my ingredients. Here is my Pasta Salad recipe:

Wagon wheel pasta. Cook in very salty water. Think of the sea. And don't over cook!

Lump Crap meat.
Roasted corn kernels. Love the roasted flavor it gives this salad.
English cucumber, diced
Red onion, diced. If you refer you can use shallots.
Asparagus, blanched & chopped. This give a nice flavor and crunch to the salad
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped.

My dressing was:

Mayo, about 1/3 cup
Sour cream about 3-4 Tablespoons
Lemon Juice. 1 to 1/2 tablespoons
Garlic - 3 small cloves roasted then pressed.
Herbs - Fresh, chopped. I used, thyme, rosemary, dill and basil.
I also added some olive oil as the dressing was a bit too thick for my liking.

These measurments are not set in stone. I always start small and increase if need be. I am light on the salt and lemon juice. I added garlic as I like the flavor it gives. You can always add more but you can't take away.

I let this sit for a awhile to get all the flavors blended.

Salad was a big hit! So go out and get the June issue of Food Network magazine and get inspired!

Until next post; may all your dishes be flavorful, and prepared with love!

Photo by Kang Kim

Crispy Asparagus Straws

I love asparagus! Not the kind you find in the can but fresh. Growing up in CA. we always had two veggies on the the table. And Asparagus was at least once a week. Now we did have fresh fruits and veggies, but for some reason my mom always bought the asparagus in the can. As a child, for a long time ,I thought this was the only way asparagus was served. One day I was having dinner with a classmate and we had fresh asparagus! I fell madly in love.

I am always looking for ways to us this wonderful vegetable. In looking through "Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook" I found a great recipe for Crispy Asparagus Straws. They are well received at any occasion. They are good hot,warm or cold. I have taken them to many social gatherings and love to make them as a snack anytime.

Choose thicker green, purple or white asparagus with tightly packed tips. Do not use the real thin ones, as they will over cook. You may prepare the asparagus ahead if you like and keep in fridge until needed.

24 asparagus spears,woody ends trimmed
6 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 thin slices prosciutto (about 7 oz total) cut in half crosswise.
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on medium holes of grater.

Steam the asparagus until just al dente about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander to cool.

Preheat oven to 450 with rack in the center.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place one sheet of phyllo on a dry surface. (keep other covered with a slightly damp towel) Brush lightly with melted butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces. about 5x7 each.

Place one piece of prosciutto on the phyllo, lining it up along one short edge of the rectangle.

Place an asparagus spear on top of the prosciutto along the same short edge of the rectangle, letting the tip lay exposed beyond the top edge by about 3/4 of an inch or so. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of Parmesan.

Roll up and secure dough with melted butter if needed.

Place completed asparagus on baking sheet. This can been done 1 to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Before baking, sprinkle the top of the straws with the remaining cheese. Cover the tips of the asparagus with foil to protect them from the heat.

Bake until nice and golden brown.

They are excellent hot, but they are just fine at room tempeture as well.


This book has so many wonderful things to make! I also made the Gruyere thyme icebox crackers, (found on page 366) Excellent! I have made many of the "tea" sandwiches as well. And of course I always put my own spin on those. I would recommend this book to all of you foodies out there.

I have so many favorite chefs, Stephen Pyle, Anne Burell, Dean Ferring, Cat Cora and so many more but Ms. Julia Child is the one I wish I could have met. Here are a few of her quotes.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook”

“(She was asked what her longevity is attributed to) Red meat and gin.”

Until next post, Cook with passion and love.

Photo by Dana Gallagher